Also while working at GBI Sorters (now GBI Intralogistics) as a software developer I was given a mock conveyor system with overhead barcode scanners, package detectors, merge and divert paths, active roller sections, popup diverters, swing arm actuators, etc.

With this hardware I was able to write a conveyor control application that coordinated with their Sorter Interface. GBI had always out-sourced this application thinking it was too complex and time consuming to write themselves. After all, they were a sorter machine company, not a software company.

I showed them this diagram of how they could coordinate these two applications into an intralogistics powerhouse.
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I wrote this application in C#/.NET-WinForms and MS-SQL Server single handedly.
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• The [System Monitor] tab is a dynamic, near-real-time screen that graphically monitors the entire conveyor system:
  • It displays all Transport and Device activity.
  • It can display the location and path of any package (tote).
  • It will display blinking alarm faults such as package jams.
  • It allows operators to turn on and off individual sections of the system.
  
  
  


• The [Conveyor Builder] tab is a graphical CAD system that allows designers to build a virtual representation of any custom conveyor layout:
  • Conveyor systems are built in sections by adding conveyor "paths" called Transports and dropping Devices onto these Transports.
  • Transports are rotated, stretched and snapped together to form the paths.
    
    
    
  
  
  • Detail dialogs for both Transports and Devices popup when double clicked.
    
    
  
  
  • All Device behavior is defined using the Rule Builder.
  • The Rule Builder is an editor for defining a set of "action rules" for each device:
    
    
  
  
  • The Conveyor System "runs" by quickly looping through all enabled Devices running each of their Rule Sets.
    • Each Transport moves packages by turning on and off its motor.
    • Packages are identified by passing under barcode scanners.
    • Sensors are checked and decisions are made as to one or more actions to take.
    • Millisecond timings are used to coordinate package merges and diversions.


• Various reports can be generated:
  
  


• A log of all system events is recorded:
  
  


• A diagnostics screen monitors communications with hardware and data from other computers:
  
  


• Utilities allows GUI interface modifications: